


Standing Ovation

by John_Steiner



Category: The X-Files
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-02
Updated: 2020-02-02
Packaged: 2021-02-27 22:08:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 622
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22532995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/John_Steiner/pseuds/John_Steiner
Summary: A kid who likes to invent gadgets is made to spend his summer vacation with his grandpa. The contraption he tests at the lake will awaken something that was meant to never be known, and Grandpa has a confession about his days in the Air Force.





	Standing Ovation

My parents insisted that I go with Grandpa Simmons on his summer fishing trip. My dad said I'd be grateful for having the memories to look back on, but really, I think they were invited and didn't want to. As for me, I had a science project I wanted to work on for the senior year STEM program. Though, being that Grandpa was going to a lake, I figured I'd make the best of it.

"What kind of oddball contraption is that?" Grandpa asked.

"Something I put together to demonstrate how sound manipulates matter," I answered, while setting up what looked like a large cross between a flute and harmonica.

"Gonna scare the fish away with that," Grandpa advised.

"Actually no," I explained, "It's a low enough frequency that they shouldn't be able to feel it. It's called infra-sound, and I have it lower than even elephants can hear."

I also brought my amplifier and my dad's portable generator. Fueling up the genny, I then plugged in the amp and hooked up the pipes. It had its own airflow system, which I could run from my phone thanks to an open source app I downloaded.

Running air through the reed in the longest pipe produced no sound, but it made the air around me feel odd in a way I couldn't describe. Trying the next pipe, I noticed standing waves on the water of the lake. The waves didn't ripple out with any sense of motion, but I knew the pattern of waves had spread across the lake.

Trying some others, I noticed waves that appeared to come toward me, though I knew that was only an optical illusion. Another infra-sonic note made the waves appear to move outward, and I switched between the two in rapid succession, and enjoyed the sight of waves going back and forth.

"Ain't that something," Grandpa praised, and set his fishing rod in its stand. "Can 'ya make 'em go side to side too?"

"I only have the one amp," I said, unsure if I should try to explain wave physics to him. "But let's try something else.

Texting instructions for multiple pipes to sound, I got waves within waves. All appeared stationary, but they rose to different heights and at their own lambda values apart.

Then, something like the sound of a tree falling came from the woods on the other side of the lake. Grandpa and I both saw several trees swaying, but none fell over. There came a crunching thud, and then another ripping sound like giant roots and earth being shredded. The rattling of trees spread across half of the shore, and then a mound rose up.

"Son-of-bitch," Grandpa cursed on seeing the massive rise of earth and green.

Whatever emerged reached its full height over the tallest of trees. There was no sense of order to its anatomy, just limbs looking like a mess of tree trunks treading earth, and smaller branches on top waving about. Several crevices split loudly, like pained roars, and from them emerged giant flower-shaped forms all waving their pedals inward toward mouths that only a plant would grow.

"Damn, I knew that thing would wake up one day," Grandpa declared, running his hand over his forehead. "Now 'ya dunnit."

"The hell is that?" I called to him, unconsciously stepping back.

"Some kinda plant-animal-fungus thing we found when I used to work with the Air Force," Grandpa answered.

I gave him an incredulous look. "You knew about this?"

"Wasn't suppose 'ta talk about it," Grandpa replied, "But guess it don't matter now. It's somethin' we think was cookin' itself up with what the lab boy called horizontal gene transfer. We'd better get in the truck and git."


End file.
